"But as I was saying, we've kept you under constant surveillance. When we saw which way you were heading, we just stayed out of sight and let you trap yourself." "You're lying. Why would you want me here?" "That's very simple," Kayle said harshly. "It's the finest trap ever built by man--and you're safely in it." "Safely is right. I have everything I need here. And that brings me to my reason for being here--in case you're curious. I'm going to build a matter transmitter. And to prove my good faith, I'll transmit the Master Tape to you. I'll show you that I could have stolen the damned thing if I'd wanted to." "Indeed? Tell me, Granthan, do you really think we'd be fools enough to leave the Master Tape behind when we evacuated the area?" "I don't know about that--but it's here." "Sorry," Kayle said. "You're deluding yourself." His voice was suddenly softer, some of the triumph gone from it. "Don't bother struggling, Granthan. The finest brains in the country have combined to place you where you are. You haven't a chance, except to do as I say. Make it easy on yourself. I have no wish to extend your ordeal." "You can't touch me, Kayle. This vault is proof against a hell-bomb, and it's stocked for a siege...." "That's right," Kayle said. His voice sounded tired. "It's proof against a hell-bomb. But what if the hell-bomb's in the vault with you?" * * * * * I felt like a demolition man, working to defuse a block-buster, who's suddenly heard a loud click! from the detonator. I dropped the phone, stared around the room. I saw nothing that could be a bomb. I ran to the next room, the one beyond. Nothing. I went back to the phone, grabbed it up. "You ought to know better than to bluff now, Kayle!" I yelled. "I wouldn't leave this spot now for half a dozen hypothetical hell-bombs!" "In the center room," Kayle said. "Lift the cover over the floor drain. You'll find it there. You know what they look like. Don't tamper with its mechanism; it's internally trapped. You'll have to take my word for it we didn't bother installing a dummy." I dropped the phone, hurried to the spot Kayle had described. The bomb casing was there--a dull gray ovoid, with a lifting eye set in the top. It didn't look dangerous. It just lay quietly, waiting.... Back at the telephone, I had trouble finding my voice. "How long?" I croaked. "It was triggered when you entered the vault," Kayle said. "There's a time mechanism. It's irreversible; you can't force anyone to cancel it. And it's no use your hiding in the outer passages. "The whole center will be destroyed in the blast. Even it can't stand against a bomb buried in its heart. But we'll gladly sacrifice the center to eliminate you." "How long!" "I suggest you come out quickly, so that a crew can enter the vault to disarm the bomb." "_How long!_" "When you're ready to emerge, call me." The line went dead.